Heartburn is a burning feeling behind the breastbone, often after eating or when lying down. It happens when stomach acid flows back up into the food pipe (oesophagus). Occasional heartburn is very common and usually easy to manage.
Common triggers
- Large or late meals
- Fatty, fried or spicy food, chocolate, mint, citrus and tomatoes
- Coffee, alcohol and fizzy drinks
- Smoking
- Being overweight, pregnancy, and tight clothing around the waist
Quick fixes
- Stay upright after eating. Don’t lie down for 2 to 3 hours after a meal.
- Raise the head of your bed by 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 inches) if heartburn hits at night.
- Eat smaller meals, and finish eating 3 hours before bed.
- Notice your own triggers and cut back on them.
Medicines compared
- Antacids (such as calcium carbonate): work within minutes by neutralising acid. Good for occasional heartburn. Relief is short.
- H2 blockers (such as famotidine 10 or 20 mg): reduce acid production. Take 15 to 60 minutes before a meal to prevent heartburn. They last several hours.
- Proton pump inhibitors (such as omeprazole 20 mg): the strongest acid reducers, for frequent heartburn (2 or more days a week). Over the counter, they’re taken once a day as a 14-day course, no more than 3 courses a year without seeing a doctor. They take 1 to 4 days to work fully.
Ask a pharmacist which suits you, especially if you take other medicines.
See a doctor if you have
- Heartburn most days, or for more than 3 weeks
- Trouble or pain swallowing, or food getting stuck
- Unexplained weight loss
- Vomiting blood, or black, tarry stools
- Heartburn and you’re over 55, or it’s new
Call emergency services for chest pain that spreads to your arm, neck or jaw, or comes with breathlessness or sweating. It may be a heart attack, not heartburn.
Also see: constipation relief and how to stop diarrhoea fast.
More in our Digestive Health guide: all our articles and products on this topic in one place.
This article is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Always read the label before using any medicine.